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Topic: Praying with eyes open or closed (Read 3215 times)

I once heard someone say that Eastern Orthodox normally pray with their eyes open and Catholics pray with their eyes closed. Probably a rather inconsequential issue, but it kind of made me wonder. I guess with me it depends on what I am praying or if it is in private or public. Most protestants, particularly ministers I recall close their eyes very tightly, and I would have to say it seems thatit appears most Catholics seem to close their eyes at least during a public prayer. Just curious if there really is any difference between protestants, Roman Catholics, Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. Any input?

Sometimes, if the church is crowded and folks are moving about, and kids are playing with their toys, and people are chit chatting, it's easier to simply block them all out by closing your eyes and focus on the "sounds", not the "sites". Then you hear the hymns being sung, the words of the priest's petitions, you notice the sweetness of the incense, etc.

However, if there's no major distractions, open and look at the salvation before you. The icons, the priest's gestures, etc. It's communal prayer.

It all depends.

However, I've heard that the faithful are not to "imagine" things, and not "visualize" things...which is apt to happen with closed eyes. If they are open you have a harder time of visualizing, as your mind is locked on what your eyes are looking at.

I am curious if there really is a right or wrong here.

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Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

I once heard someone say that Eastern Orthodox normally pray with their eyes open and Catholics pray with their eyes closed. Probably a rather inconsequential issue, but it kind of made me wonder. I guess with me it depends on what I am praying or if it is in private or public. Most protestants, particularly ministers I recall close their eyes very tightly, and I would have to say it seems thatit appears most Catholics seem to close their eyes at least during a public prayer. Just curious if there really is any difference between protestants, Roman Catholics, Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. Any input?

I really wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard the statement: "I once heard someone say," followed by weird and often inaccurate information.

How one prays depends on the person. I've never seen or read anything anywhere about Orthodox praying with eyes open or closed. The closest thing I have found relates to where the hands are, and even this varies, though mostly they are at the sides.

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Quote from: GabrieltheCelt

If you spend long enough on this forum, you'll come away with all sorts of weird, untrue ideas of Orthodox Christianity.

Quote from: orthonorm

I would suggest most persons in general avoid any question beginning with why.

"For, by its immensity, the divine substance surpasses every form that our intellect reaches. Thus we are unable to apprehend it by knowing what it is. Yet we are able to have some knowledge of it by knowing what it is not." - St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa contra gentiles, I, 14.

I'm not exactly sure of the implication of your response if you were questioning if I actually heard this statement or if I had been supplied with inaccurate information. I am assuming you meant the latter. Irregardless, here is one source as a reference to the eyes open prayer issue: Ancient Faith Radio's podcast of entitled -At the Intersection of East and West series dated Jan 7, 2009 by Deacon Michael Hyatt titled "10 Things I Wish I Knew". I haven't listened to this podcast again to verify if this is the correct one. If you find it is not the correct podcast, let me know and I will try will try to locate this particular source.